The Best Los Angeles Metal Shows to See in July

Tuesday, July 8thSepticflesh, Fleshgod ApocalypseHouse of Blues Sunset Strip
Septicflesh’s newest album Titan sees the Greek quartet collaborating again with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. This partnership lends spectacular weight to their symphonic death metal — though unfortunately the orchestra won't be at House of Blues.

As for Italian metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse, their 2013 work Labyrinth features neoclassical guitar work amidst their own strain of symphonic death. The two bands make for a solid bill.

Friday, July 11thSargeistThe Black Castle
Few metal subgenres still invoke pure evil. But Finnish supergroup Sargeist — featuring members of black metal greats Horna and Behexen — present an uncompromisingly pure take on the sound. Still, lurking amid the grime, grimness, and guttural growls on their new record Feeding The Crawling Shadows is a galloping catchiness.

Saturday, July 12thGrindcore 2014: A Tribute to Jesse Pintado333 Live
The short bursts of blastbeat-induced mayhem contained on Terrorizer’s 1989 debut World Downfall proved to be one of the cornerstones of the grindcore movement. This all-day fest is a tribute to fallen Terrorizer guitarist Jesse Pintado, who passed away from liver failure in 2006. The evening will be headlined by “Terrorizer L.A.,” a performance of the group’s influential catalog led by Terrorizer/Nausea vocalist Oscar Garcia and other greats from L.A.’s extreme metal community.

Saturday, July 12thCynicEl Rey Theatre
Cynic was one of the first acts to meld technical death metal with grand progressive-rock soundscapes on their 1993 debut Focus. Recent years have seen the group veer from the death-ier parts of their sound. The 2014 version of Cynic is a streamlined beast of melodic progressive-metal. Their newest album Kindly Bent To Free Us is a strong contender for many year-end lists, thanks to incredibly tight songwriting peppered with soaring melodic hooks.

Thursday, July 17thHarassorComplex
This L.A. group has long performed the rawer side of black metal. While a sea of 7-inch singles and splits over the last two years have temporarily satiated our appetite, new album Into Unknown Depths is what we have been waiting for. They still make abrasive black metal, but the amount of punk rock swagger is amped up to 11.

Saturday, July 19thSummer Slaughter 2014House of Blues Sunset Strip
This touring festival has made its name by equally celebrating longtime stalwarts of the extreme metal scene and the rising stars. Headliners Morbid Angel were among the pioneers of the dark death metal sound of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and will cap off a day full of face-melting metallics from scene favorites like Dying Fetus and Origin, and rising stars like L.A. tech-metal upstarts The Faceless.

Friday, July 25thMunicipal Waste, The ShrineEchoplex
Expect drunkenness. Virginia punk-thrashers Municipal Waste have spent the last decade inspiring some of the largest mosh pits we’ve seen, with odes to beer, pizza, partying, and horror movies. Venice punk rockers The Shrine aren’t quite as metal, but their odes to surfing, skateboarding, and rocking the fuck out will help them fit in fine. This show put on by DoLA and Pabst Blue Ribbon is RSVP-only - click here to do so.